POINTSOFVIEW | EDITORIAL
By Christopher Heffron
‘May God Give You Peace’
I
had my one and only panic attack more than a decade ago. While I was at lunch with a friend, I realized something wasn’t right. The noises around me were muffled. I couldn’t focus on the conversation. I was safely home when this internal hurricane made landfall. And when it hit, all I could do was lie on the floor and wait it out—my mind and heart rate going faster than I could process. When it was over, I was depleted. It’s unimaginable to me how people cope with chronic anxiety, but that single experience gave me a window into mental health struggles that I’ve never forgotten. And while I haven’t experienced a panic attack or any other mental health episode since, those who do suffer—considering our country’s social unrest and the ongoing stresses over COVID-19—face a daily uphill climb that warrants our care and respect.
BENJAVISA/ISTOCK
LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE
our mental health is often shortchanged. Experts warn that avoidance will only compound symptoms, leading to worsening self-esteem and a decline in personal relationships. The APA recognizes that stigmas surrounding mental illness are also cultural. “Discrimination against people with mental illness can lead to harm,” their August 2020 report states. “People with mental illness are marginalized and discriminated against in various ways, but understanding what that looks like and how to address and eradicate it can help.” For those who love somebody struggling with mental illness, our first job—possibly our only job—is to be fully present and listen without prejudice. Since May is Mental Health Awareness month, now is a good time to put it into practice. BROKEN AND WORTHY OF REPAIR
My friend and colleague, Daniel Imwalle, Meghan Markle brought the issue of whose story on the mental health crisis mental health to the forefront last March you’ll find on page 26, was brave enough to acknowledge that he wages a daily war with when she spoke with Oprah Winfrey about her struggles as an active member of anxiety. But he advocated for his own wellthe British royal family. Suicidal thoughts ness and took the necessary steps to address it. took root during her first pregnancy and Dan understands what hasn’t yet crystallized never let up, leading her to step for millions in this country: We are wildly imperfect away from royal duties. And while Markle may have the creatures, yet fully made For those who love somebody struggling financial resources and opporin God’s image. And God with mental illness, our job is to be fully desires us to be well, to love tunities many of us do not, she deserves credit for shedding ourselves enough to be well. present and listen without prejudice. a light on a very dark subject. St. Francis of Assisi Depression, after all, recogknew this. As a veteran and nizes neither rank nor wealth. prisoner of war who likely The Duchess of Sussex is just one brick in a large wall. suffered from PTSD, Francis understood that he was broken and worthy of repair. He was a medieval man to his core, According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly one in five adults in the United States lives yet his problems were not dissimilar to what we face today: with some form of mental illness—51.5 million in 2019. But a public health crisis, instability, emotional desolation, and in that same report, the NIMH found that 23 million, less deep anguish. But once he stripped himself of all things worldly, Francis understood that no wound was beyond than half, sought any form of treatment. There’s a reason for the disparity. The American God’s ability to heal. Psychiatric Association (APA) found those suffering from In a letter Francis wrote to Brother Leo, an early friar, his mental illness often avoid treatment because of public, persalutation should be on the lips of everyone who loves those sonal, or institutional stigma. For them, the cruel (and inacsuffering in mind or spirit: “May God smile on you and be curate) term crazy looms overhead. This frustrates mental merciful to you. May God turn his regard toward you and health professionals: If allergies inhibited our breathing, we give you peace.” would treat them. If we broke a bone, we would cast it. But For resources on mental health, go to nimh.nih.gov. StAnthonyMessenger.org | May 2021 • 15
